Hearing devices are wearable hearing apparatuses which are used to assist the hard-of-hearing. In order to accommodate numerous individual requirements, various types of hearing devices are available such as behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing devices, hearing device with an external receiver (RIC: receiver in the canal) and in-the-ear (ITE) hearing devices, for example also concha hearing devices or completely-in-the-canal (ITE, CIC) hearing devices. The hearing devices listed as examples are worn on the outer ear or in the auditory canal. Bone conduction hearing aids, implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids are also available on the market. The damaged hearing is thus stimulated either mechanically or electrically.
The key components of hearing devices are principally an input converter, an amplifier and an output converter. The input converter is normally a receiving transducer e.g. a microphone and/or an electromagnetic receiver, e.g. an induction coil. The output converter is most frequently realized as an electroacoustic converter e.g. a miniature loudspeaker, or as an electromechanical converter e.g. a bone conduction hearing aid. The amplifier is usually integrated into a signal processing unit. This basic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1 using the example of a behind-the-ear hearing device. One or a plurality of microphones 2 for recording ambient sound are built into a hearing device housing 1 to be worn behind the ear. A signal processing unit 3 which is also integrated into the hearing device housing 1 processes and amplifies the microphone signals. The output signal for the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a loudspeaker or receiver 4, which outputs an acoustic signal. Sound is transmitted through a sound tube, which is affixed in the auditory canal by means of an otoplastic, to the device wearer's eardrum. Power for the hearing device and in particular for the signal processing unit 3 is supplied by means of a battery 5 which is also integrated in the hearing device housing 1.
For hearing devices, round coin cells are generally used to supply power. These batteries must be accommodated in the housing of the hearing device in an exchangeable fashion. To this end, the housings of hearing devices are provided with battery compartments, into which the batteries are inserted. One of the most common structures of battery compartments of this type consists in a swivel-mounted compartment. The compartment itself is adjusted to the battery shape and can be swiveled out of the hearing device housing about a pivotal point and/or a hinge. When the battery compartment is in the swiveled-out state, the battery is freely accessible. Such battery compartments are disadvantageous as a result of the relatively large space requirements, particularly for the swiveling mechanism.
The publication DE 199 03 090 A1 discloses a water-tight hearing treatment device, in which the battery compartment is sealed in a water-tight fashion in respect of the remaining housing. The battery compartment is screwed to the remaining housing.